Improved railway-track clearer



, G. FOWLER.

Railroad-Track Clearer.

Patented Oct. 12, 1869.

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Letters Patent No. 95,787, dated October 12, 1869.

IMPROVED RAILWAY-TRACK CLEARER.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part 0! the same.

' Be it known that I, GEORGE FOWLER, of the town of Olaverack, in the county of Columbia, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Machine for Clearing the Show from Between the Rails of Railroad-Tracks, which I denominate a Railroad- Track Flanger and Cleaner; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip-' tionof-the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexeddrawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the entire machine..

The nature of my invention consists in attaching to the platform of the rear car of a train one or two long diverging metallic shovels, supported on springs,

so that the heels' or lower. ends'of the shovels will scrape up the snow-from the track, and, by the velocity ofthe train or car, throw and deposit it outside the rails.

Toenable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation. I To the, rear 'end of a platform-car, A, I attach a strong beam, B, by means of a hinge or hinges, or

their equivalent, at the back edge of the beam, so that n it may be vibrated, or its front edge, with its attach-' ments of springs and shovels, may be raised and lowered at pleasure.

To the under side-of this beam B, I attach a suite;- ble number of metallic spring bars or supports, 0 e e, &c., twisted at or near the middle, so as -to present their narrow edges to the snow. v

To the lower ends of these springs are attached one or'tw'o diverging metallic shovels, or winged scoops, G (J, standing at such inclination or angle with the surface oti the road as'to receive the snow at the heel or lowerend, aud'conduct it, through the aid of the motion of the car, out at the top or upper extremity'of theshovels, and deposit it outside of the track.

On a double track, one wide shovel only is to be employed,throwingthe snow all from each track in one direction-all on the outsideof each track.

When employed for cleaning the streets of a city, or clearing the snow from street-railroads, sleighs may be attached or conducted alongside.

With this apparatus or machine, the snow may be cleared out to the width of a foot inside each rail, or

'it may be taken out in an elliptic curve or. rounded bank, from rail to rail.

The springs D D are flanges, designed for clearing the snow from inside the rails, closer than the shovels can safely be made torun The shovels may be separated in the middle,'or made so narrow as to-leave the snow in the'middle of the track, andonly remove it near the rails.-

The'beam B is locked down firmly to the car by elevating the eccentric or cam-lever f, and when it'is required to .elevatethe shovels, so as to pass over switches or in backing the car, this lever is depressed,

relieving the beam and the-uprighthandle 0, drawn backward.

But I do not intend to confine myself to these simple devices for working the beam '15. Other and more eflicient levers may be used for this purpose.

I contemplate employing only one lever to raise and lower and lock this beam.

The rods 0 a are employed to support the outer lower corners of the shovels, or scoops G (l.

t This entire machine or apparatus I believe to be new, and

.1, therefore, claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. The combination and arrangement of beam B, shovels O O, springs e e c, 830., in the manner, or substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein:

set forth. V

2. The employment, in combination with the above, of the flanges or springs D D, substantially asand for the'purpose described. 3. Attaching the above-described several parts and devices, when combined and arranged substantially as set forth, to the rear end of a railw'ay truck or car,

substantially in the manner and for: the purpose here- GEOR-GE FOWLER.

' in set forth.

Witnesses: I

ALEX. S. Rownnv, CHARLES A. VAN. Dnusnm 

